Posted by Ken Kurtis on July 26, 2002 at 17:43:05:
Thought you might be interested in seeing these numbers from a 1999 study by DAN Southeast Asia Pacific, looking at 178 Australian dive fatalities over a span of 21 years. The report finds the following behavorial problems related to the fatalities:
• 51% had no air or very little air in the tank at the time of death
• 62% died with their weight belts on
• 36% failed to inflate their BC or had bouyancy problems
• 80% became seperated before or during the incident
IMHO, here are the lessons we can learn:
• Watch your air like you never have before
• In an emergency, ditch your weight belt (even if you're still underwater)
• Inflate your BC (definitely when at the surface, and probably even if you're still under)
• Stay with your buddy
While you can't say for certain "If you do this, you won't die," you can certainly draw the conclusion from these numbers that by modifying certain behavorial chactaristics, you can increase the liklihood of your survival in an emergency (or avoiding the emergency altogether).
Ken Kurtis
NAUI #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA